Her eyes scanned the messy room, searching for anything useful. All she found were piles of expensive, useless jewelry and a few silk nightgowns with scandalously little fabric. Nothing that could be used as a weapon or a tool.
A dull, heavy thud echoed from somewhere below. It sounded like someone punching a wall.
[Energy fluctuation detected from the basement,] the system reported. [Subject: Shane Tucker. Danger level is rising exponentially.]
Hiding was not an option. Waiting was suicide. She needed information, and she needed it now. Janna grabbed a long trench coat from a hook on the door, wrapping it around her flimsy nightgown to cover herself.
She moved to the bedroom door, her movements silent, practiced. She pressed her ear against the cold metal, listening. The silence from the hallway was absolute. Her own heartbeat was a frantic drum in the quiet.
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Janna pressed the button to open the door. It slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a long, dark, and utterly silent corridor.
Janna's bare feet made no sound on the cold marble floor of the hallway. She moved like a cat, a shadow melting into other shadows, a skill learned in a world where noise meant death. The wind whistling through a vent at the end of the corridor provided the perfect cover for the sound of her own breathing. She kept one hand on the wall, guiding herself towards the source of the disturbance-the basement.
The system's countdown timer flashed in the corner of her vision, a persistent, blood-red reminder of her impending doom. 60 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes.
Shut up, she thought, directing the command at the system. She found the concealed staircase and started down the narrow, steep steps. The air grew colder, thick with the coppery scent of blood and a heavy, oppressive pheromone smell that made the hairs on her arms stand up.
The motion-sensor light in the basement flickered erratically, a victim of old wiring. Janna paused at the last turn of the stairs, hiding in the deepest part of the shadow, and peered around the corner.
In the center of the stark concrete floor below, Shane was on his knees. His entire body was wracked with violent tremors, his muscles spasming under his skin. A low, animalistic growl rumbled in his throat.
Janna's eyes widened. He was holding a military-grade combat knife. Without a moment's hesitation, he plunged the blade deep into his own thigh.
Blood welled up instantly, dark against his skin.
The brutal act of self-harm seemed to work. A flicker of clarity returned to his pain-clouded eyes. He pulled the knife out, gasping for air, using the sharp, physical agony to fight against the chaotic surge of energy threatening to consume him.
A second figure emerged from the shadows in the corner. Cary Hopkins, slender and graceful, rushed to Shane's side, a medical tray in his hands. His fox-like ears twitched nervously.
"Shane, stop this," Cary pleaded, his voice laced with anguish. He looked at the bleeding wound on Shane's leg, and a faint white glow emanated from his hands as he tried to use his healing ability.
Shane shoved his hand away. "Don't," he rasped, his breathing ragged. "Don't waste your energy on me. You need it. For when she decides to play again."
Cary's lower lip trembled. He bit it hard, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "That heartless demon," he whispered, the words full of venom. "To provoke you now, when you need soothing the most."
Hiding on the stairs, Janna's heart felt like a lead weight in her chest. The accusation, though not directed at her soul, landed squarely on the body she now inhabited. She was forced to inherit the full, crushing weight of the original Janna's sins.
Shane leaned back against a support pillar, a bitter, cold smile on his face. "Just two more months, Cary," he said, his voice a low, chilling promise. "When the trial period is over, I will snap her neck with my own hands."
A flash of fear crossed Cary's face, but it was quickly replaced by a look of grim determination. "We have to contact the interstellar court," he agreed. "File the divorce application. We have to get the others and escape this hell."
Janna froze. The killing intent in their words was not an empty threat. It was a calculated, deliberate plan. A death sentence they were all counting down to. She tried to make a fist, but her palm was slick with cold sweat. If she couldn't change their perception of her, she would never survive the next two months.
[System Reminder,] the voice in her head announced unhelpfully. [Your power space is currently in a deadlocked state. It can only be initially unlocked by stimulation from an external, high-level energy source.]
Janna gritted her teeth in frustration. It was a vicious cycle. She needed energy to unlock her powers, but she needed money to buy energy. And she didn't have a single credit to her name.
Down below, another wave of pain hit Shane. He curled into a ball on the floor, the knife clattering from his grip.
Ignoring Shane's earlier protest, Cary pressed his glowing hands against the wound, forcing his healing energy into Shane's body. The effort was clearly immense; sweat beaded on Cary's pale forehead.
Janna watched them, a strange feeling stirring within her. In her past life, she had seen nothing but betrayal and self-interest. To see this-two men supporting each other in the depths of despair-sparked a flicker of unexpected respect.
But she couldn't afford to feel sympathy. It was a weakness, a liability. She had to get back to her room and make a plan.
She started to back away slowly, carefully. Her heel brushed against a loose floorboard on the edge of the stair. It let out a soft, but distinct, creak.
Both men below snapped to attention instantly.
"Who's there?" Shane roared, his head whipping around. His green eyes, sharp as daggers, pierced the darkness, aimed directly at the corner where she was hiding.
Janna held her breath, pressing herself flat against the cold, damp wall. Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure they could hear it.
Cary stood up, a small ball of white energy forming in his palm. He moved cautiously towards the staircase, his fox ears erect, listening for the slightest sound.
He was just a few steps from the corner. Just a few seconds from discovering her.
